Points of Canon: S7x06 - Forever Filly

Contains spoilers. You have been warned appropriately.

• I do wonder what are Fancy Pants and Fleur doing right outside the door to Rarity’s Canterlot boutique.
• Sassy Saddles says she “can’t believe the winter to spring transition is almost here,” rigidly fixing this episode seasonally: Winter Wrap Up has to have completed at most days ago, and fashion is just lagging behind.
• The baby blue sapphires have “arrived this morning,” which implies that Rarity no longer goes digging for those herself. Which is kind of strange in light of Rock Solid Friendship, unless Rarity really stopped going digging herself.
• The dress Rarity plans to work on next is called “Eternal Elegance Empire Silhouette Evening Gown,” which is a mouthful, but notably, uses the word “Empire.” I wonder what it means in this context.
• Rarity can’t remember when was the last time she had fun together with Sweetie Belle. This will be important for chronology, because as far as I can tell, the last time has to be The Cart Before The Ponies.
• Rarity has a photo album with her, and shows it to Sassy Saddles. You generally don’t carry your whole photo album on business trips, even extended business trips, which implies Rarity now maintains some sort of permanent or long term residence in Canterlot and spends a lot of time there at least during fashion season breaks. Sassy corroborates this by saying “why don’t you go visit her?” – emphasis mine. And later Rarity has to come back to Canterlot. I wonder, who runs the Carousel Boutique in her absence?…
• Rarity uses the word “safari” to describe one of the costumed photos with Sweetie. So what exactly does the word mean for ponies?…
• The block of stone the CMC are sliding down on, depending on the exact sizes, has a volume from 11 cubic meters and up. It weighs anywhere from 13 to 50 metric tons, depending on the exact size and stone, and it has accumulated enough energy to be sliding. That white pegasus is incredibly lucky. So is Chip Cutter. And the CMC are not just crazy, but surprisingly capable, because you need a really heavy duty hydraulic jack to do just about anything to 13 metric tons, and they somehow managed to chip it out of wherever it was, and get it to slide.
• We have not seen this mountain before as far as I can tell.
• Chip’s lunch sculpture includes a banana and olives.
• The wall of fame in the CMC clubhouse contains photos of numerous ponies, but not all of them are photos of their customers. Notably, the photo immediately below the photo of Chip Cutter with his statue is the photo of Rarity, AJ and Rainbow in their mechanic outfits from The Cart Before The Ponies. Other photos I caught are: Applejack / Apple Bloom / Granny Smith, Big Mac / Cherilee, Babs Seed, Diamond Tiara, Pip Gabby, Tender Taps, Bulk Biceps. Notice the first three of these have no known cutie mark assistance incident, but they also depict family. Also, someone is shipping Big Mac with Cherilee, poor thing.
• Notably, I don’t see a photo of Petunia Paleo, who was a client. But I don’t have a high resolution copy of the episode either. And I do see a few photos of ponies I don’t recognize.
• The CMC somehow managed to accumulate at least 8 folders worth of paperwork anyway. I wonder.
• Even though Sassy Saddles just said it’s a winter to spring transition, there are bloody apples on the trees in the shot when Rarity barges in. The next few shots, they’re gone. Then they reappear. Animation error, I say. Especially considering that the trees in the park mostly have blooming flowers instead.
• So when she was smaller, Sweetie Belle liked puppet theater, but now she prefers black box experimental theater. In our world, that is something that only became prominent in 1960s.⁽¹⁾
• Sweetie Belle is not teenage-shaped yet, but the size difference between her and Rarity got a lot smaller in this episode in some shots.⁽²⁾ And is almost back to the usual in others…
• Minuette is present in the opening shots of the episode walking by with Lemon Hearts, but here she is in Ponyville in the icecream shop. That lady gets around.
• The icecream shop has very unusual low bar stools.⁽³⁾
• Rarity enticed the original owner of the icecream shop “to come out of retirement to make your all time favorite dessert,” but notably, she sticks an emerald under her hat right there in front of Sweetie Belle. And the way the old lady drops the plate immediately and vanishes makes me wonder.
• Now, the size of this “dessert” just has to be a visual joke…
• Once again, we see photographs made very quickly, but a camera that obviously has to use film. There’s probably a booth hidden behind a tree somewhere…

This was sweet and it didn’t make me feel stupid for watching it. I call that a win, even though I wouldn’t call it a particularly engaging episode.

Third episode without a crossed out square in a row.

No, I’m not going to count a photo of Babs Seed as Babs Seed.

Chronologically, this episode plugs up a lot of Season 6 episodes from the top, establishing a hard upper bound for them, but itself has no clear upper bound. In fact, I suspect this might now be the chronologically latest episode.

Chronology project has been updated accordingly. Yes, I’m going to mention it every time, so that people don’t forget about it.

(1) I’m not exactly wondering where Sweetie could have come by any, because it’s an art form particularly notable for low startup costs. But the very fact that it’s popular enough for Sweetie to chance on it is telling.
(2) If they don’t shell out for new puppets next time, I’m going to be annoyed.
(3) Which should be much more of a thing if you ask me.

Comments

[DannyJ]

Another one I definitely liked. I don't know if this and the previous episode are ones I will enduringly like, and actually look back on fondly, but the season really feels like it's picking up.

[Meta Four]

This episode struck me as rather poignant. Even though Rarity was clearly in the wrong and kind of ridiculous, I definitely empathize with her wanting recapture the feelings from an older time.

[howard035]

A cute episode, though I wish they had moved the epiphany up a bit so we could have seen mature Sweetie and Rarity doing more stuff together.

Also, screw Ripley, he rejects playing with a ball? Dogs of all ages love balls! I think he's just a stuck-up dog.

The baby blue sapphires have “arrived this morning,” which implies that Rarity no longer goes digging for those herself.

Or it could be that "common stones" Rarity digs up herself, rare stones like sapphires she has to order.

Also, that line from Rock Solid Friendship makes my idea that Rarity used to mine on the side to get her start less likely.

Also, someone is shipping Big Mac with Cherilee, poor thing.

Does that mean the CMC got them together off-screen?

Animation error, I say. Especially considering that the trees in the park mostly have blooming flowers instead.

The same animation error that made Applejack show off an apple she grew the size of a volkswagen. I'd say it was earth pony magic fast-growing food 9 months out of the year. And while Rarity was talking Big Mac bucked the apples and took off.

Sweetie Belle is not teenage-shaped yet, but the size difference between her and Rarity got a lot smaller in this episode in some shots.⁽²⁾ And is almost back to the usual in others

What's weird is the puppet-show/balloon animal crowd of foals seems the same size as Sweetie, but they love puppet shows and balloon animals. However, they also seem blank-flanked. Are they supposed to be several years younger, or does the cutie mark just profoundly affect your psyche and maturity levels?

Rarity now maintains some sort of permanent or long term residence in Canterlot and spends a lot of time there at least during fashion season breaks. Sassy corroborates this by saying “why don’t you go visit her?” – emphasis mine. And later Rarity has to come back to Canterlot.

I noticed that as well.

I wonder, who runs the Carousel Boutique in her absence?…

Who does anything in Season 7? Obviously Starlight Glimmer runs the shop and provides perfect dresses with her magic.

So when she was smaller, Sweetie Belle liked puppet theater, but now she prefers black box experimental theater. In our world, that is something that only became prominent in 1960s.

Sweetie Bell is well on her way to becoming a huge drama nerd. If she doesn't become a guidance counselor, her next fallback job is closer to playwright than singer.

Nice episode, nice to have something to nail the seasons with. That will probably be helpful in the three upcoming winter episodes, interspersed with the summer beach episodes (I'm guessing).

[Horse Voice]

This episode seems to be continuing the new trend of messages being directed at the parents or older siblings of the target audience. I could relate to Sweetie in this one, having run up against this issue myself as I grew older. I'm sure a lot of people out there can relate.

The wall of fame in the CMC clubhouse contains photos of numerous ponies, but not all of them are photos of their customers.

I may be able to shed some light on this. I've had a lot of retail jobs, and in these there is a major emphasis on the practice of "facing." This means that products are arranged to minimize unsightly gaps on shelves, as this has a subtle psychological effect on passers-by. I bet those other photos are there as filler, to make the wall look more attractive to clients. Most likely, they'll be replaced as the CMC solve more cases.

[Shrink Laureate]

4522848

This episode seems to be continuing the new trend of messages being directed at the parents or older siblings of the target audience. I could relate to Sweetie in this one, having run up against this issue myself as I grew older. I'm sure a lot of people out there can relate.

Don't forget all the little girls who aren't as little as they were five years ago. The show is starting to track its demographic as they age.

[Oliver]

4522800

Or it could be that “common stones” Rarity digs up herself, rare stones like sapphires she has to order.

Maybe, but if she had to relocate to Canterlot, digging expeditions surely became a lot more difficult.

Does that mean the CMC got them together off-screen?

Judging by released episode synopses, definitely no.

I’d say it was earth pony magic fast-growing food 9 months out of the year. And while Rarity was talking Big Mac bucked the apples and took off.

Fast-growing sure. Bucking them while Rarity was talking? Definitely not. :)

Are they supposed to be several years younger, or does the cutie mark just profoundly affect your psyche and maturity levels?

I’m not sure how old they are supposed to be, but a cutie mark would work this way, wouldn’t it…

4522848

I’ve had a lot of retail jobs, and in these there is a major emphasis on the practice of “facing.”

That does make sense. And Rarity wouldn’t comment on this because she obviously was the one who taught Sweetie that, her surprise is how many of these photos are actually customers.

[Cursed Quill]

Watched. It's nice that they have "recently shown" as most of the rerun bloc. Combined post this time, as I'm on-time.

Light on canon, and okay, but I agree with howard the thirtyfifth: "I wish they had moved the epiphany up a bit so we could have seen mature Sweetie and Rarity doing more stuff together."
❧Sassy Saddles is wearing a deco-saddle-included dress. Been a while. I mean, I suppose it's a thing she particularly would do, by name…but it's still somepony enacting that fashion.
❧Winter-spring transition upcoming makes this a winter episode. Technically. covered:

Sassy Saddles says she “can’t believe the winter to spring transition is almost here,” rigidly fixing this episode seasonally: Winter Wrap Up has to have completed at most days ago, and fashion is just lagging behind.

Or it's regional; Ponyville's been chronically behind on its Wrap-up before. Perhaps this time Canterlot is.

Eternal Elegance Empire Silhouette Evening Gown,” which is a mouthful, but notably, uses the word “Empire.” I wonder what it means in this context.

Watch the Andy Warhol film to find out what silhouette will be used…

Rarity can’t remember when was the last time she had fun together with Sweetie Belle. This will be important for chronology, because as far as I can tell, the last time has to be The Cart Before The Ponies.

I'd hold that she was being charitable there and not actually trying to claim they'd had fun together; she kind of excluded Sweetie the first run and was excluded herself on the second.
❧picture costume sets:
❧❧butterfly/caterpillar (w/ interesting suspension)
❧❧chicken/egg (…thik they reused Pinkie's asset)
❧❧frogs?snakes?(surprised Rarity permits that)
❧❧ of course flower/seed,
but the longshot, the important one? is
❧❧sheep and shepherdess. More sheep-as-lower-class evidence!

4522800

Or it could be that "common stones" Rarity digs up herself, rare stones like sapphires she has to order.

Maybe, but if she had to relocate to Canterlot, digging expeditions surely became a lot more difficult.

I dunno. There's this one cave that happens to have a hell of a lot of crystal in it right there in the Canterhorn…figured in a wedding?

ed: finished unfinished clause about Cart before Ponies, oops

[howard035]

4532337 I think it's a general weakness of the show. Whenever someone is going to learn to do something right, the show spends 90% of the time doing it wrong first, that ratio should be more like 70/30. That would fix a lot of the complaints people have.

[Eruantalon]

Maybe the "Eternal Elegance Empire Silhouette Evening Gown" is a reference to the Crystal Empire?

[Oliver]

4534545

Maybe the “Eternal Elegance Empire Silhouette Evening Gown” is a reference to the Crystal Empire?

You’d think it would be a silhouette of the Empire State Building Crystal Castle, only, can you imagine how this would look on a pony shape?…